Cyclists two abreast on busy 'A' road, selfish?

[httk]

The mods on this forum aren't the brightest.

Maybe they're car drivers.

My opinion is pretty standard, it's fine to do if the road's not busy, otherwise you're just getting in the way.

I feel exactly the same about groups of people walking along pavements in central London line abreast. It's inconsiderate.

 

[Kenai]

MOTORS

I obviously missed the part where after it says "2 wheels or 4 - talk about it here" it then says 'EXCLUSIVELY MOTORISED ONLY'

 

[King85]

Wheres your road tax

Banter or a fail? Tough call

 

[Theophany]

for all intents and purposes cycles are considered to be a vehicle the same as you.

Maybe they weren't aware you were there if you had beeped your horn just a little from a safe distance they would likely have gave you room.

even at 10mph it can be hard to hear if a vehicle is behind you until they start to overtake you because of the noise from the wind

And yet - as you wonderfully demonstrate - 'operators' of these vehicles are not required to pass a basic competency test as all motorists are. Seems bloody barmy to me that any twot in spandex can pick up a bicycle and play make believe that they're racing for Team Sky.

And before I get jumped on, I complain no end about the **** poor standard of driving out there from motorists. Fair point. However, I don't buy the argument that cyclists are somehow exempt from needing to be mentally one stage ahead of an amoeba when on public highways.

 

[Mr-White]

Cyclists two abreast on busy 'A' road, selfish?

I think cyclists on roads is selfish full stop.

MW

 

[Janesy B]

It might not be about cars but it's still a motoring issue.

 

["andy"]

I think cyclists on roads is selfish full stop.

MW

Yea I guess causing less traffic , no pollution , less noise and being less likely to kill someone when you have an accident is pretty damn selfish !

 

[Akagi]

It is definitely selfish, frustrating, and dangerous for both them, and the frustrated drivers following them, as well as oncoming traffic in-case the frustrated drivers behind the cyclists decide theyve had enough. Why is it so hard to ride single file?

 

[Em3bbs]

Motors (208 Viewing)
2 wheels or 4 - talk about it here.

Correct me if i'm wrong but I think bicycles tend to have 2 wheels most of the time.

My sack barrow has two wheels - if I want to buy a new one should I put the thread in motors?

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

It is definitely selfish, frustrating, and dangerous for both them, and the frustrated drivers following them, as well as oncoming traffic in-case the frustrated drivers behind the cyclists decide theyve had enough. Why is it so hard to ride single file?

Why is it dangerous?

 

[unclelonghair]

My sack barrow has two wheels - if I want to buy a new one should I put the thread in motors?

Only if you want an M Sport edition

 

[doofer]

Dear cyclists, you know how angry and shouty you get when a pedestrian dares to encroach in your 'Cycle Lane'? That's how Car drivers feel about you when you are on the roads on your bicycles.

 

[Conscript]

Dear cyclists, you know how angry and shouty you get when a pedestrian dares to encroach in your 'Cycle Lane'? That's how Car drivers feel about you when you are on the roads on your bicycles.

Not really the same thing considering roads weren't built solely for car use.

 

[Westyfield2]

I think cyclists on roads is selfish full stop.

MW

Yesterday I'm driving along a nice road, can't remember what the limit was but I was either doing it or slightly over, and there's no-one ahead of me and no-one behind me. Cyclist decides to pull-out of a side road just ahead of me, and so pretty much straight after he's pulled out I have to overtake as shocker when car is faster than cyclist.
How much of a muppet or how selfish do you need to be to pull-out right ahead of a 3tonne 4x4 with it's LED DRLs & Xenon headlights on, rather than waiting 5-10 seconds for them to go past the junction and pulling out behind where there are no other vehicles to overtake you as far as the eye can see.

It is definitely selfish, frustrating, and dangerous for both them, and the frustrated drivers following them, as well as oncoming traffic in-case the frustrated drivers behind the cyclists decide theyve had enough. Why is it so hard to ride single file?

I swear that the most dangerous driving I see is when a car has been stuck behind a slow moving vehicle (going way below the limit) for ages and can't overtake because of oncoming traffic/white line/can't see round corner/other cars in the train not getting on with their overtake etc. Then the frustrated car finally spies half an opportunity to overtake and even though it's a bit dangerous they take it as they've got so fed up of going slow.
Similarly when stuck behind a slow moving vehicle in corners/uphill, they're then looking for an opportunity to overtake... but when the opportunity finally arrives, we're now on straight/flat road and the slow moving vehicle is now doing a decent pace (but will be slow again at the next corner/uphill), so to get past the slow car, who has now sped up, the frustrated car has to overtake at warp10 silly speed.

In both cases if the slow vehicle had been doing a decent pace or not slowing down ridiculously for corners/uphill, the vehicle behind wouldn't get frustrated and coaxed into taking a dangerous overtake at half an opportunity.

 

[Akagi]

Why is it dangerous?

the most dangerous driving I see is when a car has been stuck behind a slow moving vehicle (going way below the limit) for ages and can't overtake because of oncoming traffic/white line/can't see round corner/other cars in the train not getting on with their overtake etc. Then the frustrated car finally spies half an opportunity to overtake and even though it's a bit dangerous they take it as they've got so fed up of going slow.
Similarly when stuck behind a slow moving vehicle in corners/uphill, they're then looking for an opportunity to overtake... but when the opportunity finally arrives, we're now on straight/flat road and the slow moving vehicle is now doing a decent pace (but will be slow again at the next corner/uphill), so to get past the slow car who has now sped up the frustrated car has to overtake at warp10 silly speed.

In both cases if the slow vehicle had been doing a decent pace or not slowing down ridiculously for corners/uphill, the vehicle behind wouldn't get frustrated and coaxed into taking a dangerous overtake at half an opportunity.

 

[httk]

I swear that the most dangerous driving I see is when a car has been stuck behind a slow moving vehicle (going way below the limit) for ages and can't overtake because of oncoming traffic/white line/can't see round corner/other cars in the train not getting on with their overtake etc. Then the frustrated car finally spies half an opportunity to overtake and even though it's a bit dangerous they take it as they've got so fed up of going slow.

Yeah, I agree with this. Ignore the fact that this shouldn't be the case in an ideal world/road, it is simply true that frustrated drivers can be dangerous and being stuck behind two cyclists riding two abreast is definitely frustrating and fundamentally unnecessary.

 

[Nexus]

And yet - as you wonderfully demonstrate - 'operators' of these vehicles are not required to pass a basic competency test as all motorists are. Seems bloody barmy to me that any twot in spandex can pick up a bicycle and play make believe that they're racing for Team Sky.

This always comes up in these threads, but I'd wager that you will find most people out on club rides, with decent bikes and wearing spandex as you put it.... well they will actually for the majority be car owners and licensed drivers who have done such tests. Its what makes it even more ridiculous when people start shouting about not paying 'road tax'.

The people who won't are kids and those on old beater bikes, which you typically see riding on the pavement anyway. Inner cities like London are a bit of an exception because obviously there are going to be cyclists there who have never driven because there is little need to learn.

Yes cycling is pretty accessible to everyone, but given the expense and effort that people will have to put in to do it seriously, I think you will find they also own cars.

 

[R-evans]

I'm a cyclist and a driver. I think some cyclists can be arrogant but compared to the amount of arrogant, stupid, reckless drivers there are about, they don't really bother me that much.

It's the people in cars, whether I'm cycling or driving, that I need to look out for. So many times I have nearly been wiped out when rubbish drivers aren't looking where they are going. If I didn't have good brakes, there's a couple of times in the last month I could have been hit.

 

[neil_g]

I swear that the most dangerous driving I see is when a car has been stuck behind a slow moving vehicle (going way below the limit) for ages and can't overtake because of oncoming traffic/white line/can't see round corner/other cars in the train not getting on with their overtake etc. Then the frustrated car finally spies half an opportunity to overtake and even though it's a bit dangerous they take it as they've got so fed up of going slow.
Similarly when stuck behind a slow moving vehicle in corners/uphill, they're then looking for an opportunity to overtake... but when the opportunity finally arrives, we're now on straight/flat road and the slow moving vehicle is now doing a decent pace (but will be slow again at the next corner/uphill), so to get past the slow car, who has now sped up, the frustrated car has to overtake at warp10 silly speed.

In both cases if the slow vehicle had been doing a decent pace or not slowing down ridiculously for corners/uphill, the vehicle behind wouldn't get frustrated and coaxed into taking a dangerous overtake at half an opportunity.

lol, cyclists are dangerous because they make impatient people angry so they drive like morons.

 

[HardwareGeek]

Yea I guess causing less traffic , no pollution , less noise and being less likely to kill someone when you have an accident is pretty damn selfish !

I would argue the exact opposite..

they increase traffic problems, would much rather have 1 more car doing the speed limit in front of me in traffic than be stuck in a tailback behind a bike.

they personally don't emit as much co2 as a vehicle but cause the rest of the traffic on the road to emit more, breaking, running in 2nd/3rd then flooring it to pass?

same ^^ with noise?

they may not personally kill anyone except maybe a pedestrian but i would argue there must be more accidents on the road network shared with cyclists then a road network without cyclists